Recovery and business continuity planning involves more than just planning for a disaster like a hurricane or fire. It requires planning for all business interruptions. How will your company handle a shift in the economy, the sudden death of your executive leader or even an influenza pandemic? Continuity planning defines how your business will react to unexpected events, both natural and man-made. It not only lays the groundwork for an immediate reaction, but it also prepares for the long-term effects of a disruption to ensure that the business remains viable and successful.

Disaster Recovery

Disaster recovery planning rests in the core of the business continuity plan. It focuses on the events that occur during and immediately after the disaster. It identifies exit procedures, safety procedures and communication schedules for the staff and customers. It strives to keep the employees and business organized so business can resume as early as possible. It outlines the reactions and responses that will assist in reducing business loss and preventing injury.

Business Continuity

Business continuity encompasses planning for all business interruptions, regardless of the cause. Unlike the disaster recovery plan, the business continuity plan focuses on short-term and long-term aspects that may affect the business’s recovery. It describes the organization’s flow of business, identifies the operations that are critical for the business’s survival, provides emergency procedures for business and financial decision-making and explains the steps that the business will take to bring its operations back to normal.

Data and Storage

The importance of data storage has expanded with technology’s emergence in business. Most businesses today store a vast amount of information within their systems. The sudden loss of that information, whether from a disaster or a virus, can result in the business’s inability to continue its operations. The statistics of the Counselors to America’s Small Businesses, known as SCORE, show that, on average, only 30 percent of businesses recover from major data loss, while the other 70 percent close their doors within one year. Protecting data should always be an important concern when developing a business continuity plan.

Prevention

Business continuity planning is the process of planning for the unexpected. Although many disasters are unpreventable, you can take steps to reduce, if not prevent, serious damage to your critical business areas. Your business plan should include a dedicated section for prevention. Steps such as installing and maintaining smoke detectors, backing up software and maintaining insurance and warranties on essential equipment are just a few aspects that can greatly reduce damage to your business after a disaster.

Considerations

All businesses should have a continuity plan. SCORE reports that 75 percent of businesses fail within three years when they enter a disaster without a continuity plan. These statistics show that business continuity planning is an essential component of a business’s success. Every business’s continuity plan is different. While a retail business may focus on loss reduction, customer and staff safety and property protection, an Internet-based company may need to only focus on system and software protection. The length and depth of your business continuity plan is dependent upon your specific type of business and its methods of operation.